Tonbridge man jailed for manslaughter of newborn daughter

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Thursday, May 06, 2010
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This is Kent

A Tonbridge man who killed his 25-day-old daughter the first time he was left alone with her was jailed for five years today.

Christopher Sellman of The Hurst, was sentenced today at Inner London Crown Court by High Court judge, Mr Justice Bean.

He was found guilty of manslaughter in March at Maidstone Crown Court.

Newborn Tiffany Sellman Burdge died in November 2008 after suffering heart failure and bleeding to the brain while alone with 24-year-old Sellman at their Greggswood Road home in Tunbridge Wells.

With time on spent in prison on remand and the usual discount Sellman is likely to walk free in 18 months.

The judge told Sellman he treated his daughter "roughly" and unlawfully killed her after she cried while he was playing a computer game.

"This is a tragic case," he said.

"Your daughter, Tiffany, was left in your care for the first time when she was only one month old.

"Within an hour she was effectively dead."

Throughout the police investigation, officers found Sellman could not give an accurate account of what had happened to the baby girl prior to his 999 call.

She turned blue and, despite attempts to save her, later died at King's College Hospital in London on November 1.

During the hearing the court heard relatives twice tried to alert Kent social services of the risk Sellman posed.

However, it later emerged the information was not passed on.

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